New-York, July 28, 1909 - Twenty-four little girls had gathered at the Sunday school meeting room of a city mission recently to receive instruction from the Fresh Air workers for their two weeks' vacation in the country. There should have been twenty-five, but Lucia Galfonte was absent. The worker in charge called the roll, and one by one the children answered to their names. She came to that of the missing one. "Lucia." she called. "Has anybody seen Lucia Galfonte?"

"Her mother says she can’t go," volunteered a chorus of voices. "She told me she was going yesterday" said the worker. "Helena, you run out and find her quick."

In a few moments Helena returned out of breath from the celerity with which she went on the errand. "Teacher, she's right down at the end of the block and she says she won't come up," said Helena. "Well, I’ll go myself” replied the worker. She found the recalcitrant Lucia playing on a dirty street corner not far distant. "Don't you want to go to the country, Lucia?" she said. "My mother says like that I can't go," replied the little seven-year-old. "Can't go? Why, she told me just yesterday that you could go. You come along with me " "But she say like that I can't now. My mother can't cook the dinner and hold the baby at the same time." Lucia recognized her duty to stay home and hold the baby if her mother needed her, and family pride would not allow her to be persuaded to any other point of view. Arrangements were finally made whereby the baby would be cared for when the mother was occupied, and Lucia would be able to go with her playmates into the country.